1993 was a big year for Steven Spielberg as he created one of cinema's biggest blockbusters and most recognized masterpieces in the same year. Both Jurassic Park and Schindler's List were released that year. In order to get both movies out, Spielberg had to essentially work on both movies simultaneously, shooting Schindler's List in Poland while also approving post-production shots of Jurassic Park at the same time. Spielberg now says that having to deal with CGI dinosaurs in the evening after filming such an emotionally powerfully powerful film during the date ended up creating a great deal of resentment inside him. According to the director...
When I finally started shooting...in Poland, I had to go home about two or three times a week and get on a very crude satellite feed to Northern California...to be able to approve T-Rex shots," he remembered. "And it built a tremendous amount of resentment and anger that I had to do this, that I had to actually go from [the emotional weight of Schindler's List] to dinosaurs chasing jeeps, and all I could express was how angry that made me at the time. I was grateful later in June, though, but until then it was a burden.
It certainly had to be a sort of emotional whiplash on a daily basis as he went from the heavy and emotional story of the World War II Holocaust to a fantastical story of dinosaurs coming back to life. Steven Spielberg told an audience at the Tribeca Film Festival (via Entertainment Weekly) that when the script for Schindler's List finally came through after multiple rewrites, he knew he had to make the movie as soon as possible, it was clearly an important movie for him. So much so that it made his other big movie feel a lot less important.
Steven Spielberg does say that when Jurassic Park was released in June, it was easier to deal with. The massive box office that made the movie one of the biggest of all-time is likely to have that sort of an effect on a director. Following that, Schindler's List would win every award under the sun, including Best Picture at the Academy Awards and a Best Director award for Spielberg himself. While the Jurassic Park box office was probably well celebrated, the director admits there was little "celebrating" the Oscars for Schindler's List as the movie's weight was such that celebrating didn't feel like an option.
While making these two movies at the same time clearly took a toll on Steven Spielberg, making them both at the same time made it clear that he was one of the greatest directors who has ever lived.
